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HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The State of Texas has an effective and |
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well-developed water planning process that relies on stakeholder |
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input and promotes local control, but the executive and legislative |
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branches of the federal government are embarking on a campaign to |
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shift water resources planning from the state and local levels to |
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the federal level; and |
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WHEREAS, Currently being considered by the federal |
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government are a sweeping array of legislation, executive orders, |
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and agency rules that, taken together, cover nearly all aspects of |
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water resources policy and law; these measures would erode state |
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and local primacy over water resources planning and management and |
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severely constrain the planning and implementation successes Texas |
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has already achieved; and |
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WHEREAS, More than half a century ago, following an |
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extraordinary drought, state legislators created the Texas Water |
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Development Board to ensure the continued availability of water |
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supplies; since then, state leaders have developed water planning |
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processes to identify and cultivate the resources required to meet |
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growing domestic, agricultural, and environmental needs; these |
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carefully crafted policies address the state's unique |
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environmental conditions while respecting private property rights, |
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and they are essential to keeping pace with the demands of a |
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population that is expected to double by the year 2060; and |
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WHEREAS, Increasing federal requirements and control over |
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water planning and development would greatly complicate and |
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unnecessarily extend the process of securing federal permits for |
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many water-related projects sought by local interests, rendering |
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some simply unviable; moreover, federal initiatives would be |
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unlikely to incorporate sufficient input from the local, regional, |
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and state stakeholders who are most impacted; regional and local |
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water entities are the most knowledgeable about the needs of their |
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communities and have a proven track record of expertly balancing |
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the many environmental, economic, and human factors that constitute |
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an effective planning discipline; and |
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WHEREAS, A federally centralized approach would not only |
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undermine the state's strong tradition of stewardship over its |
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waters, transferring responsibility to far-removed officials, but |
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would also infringe on the sovereignty of the State of Texas; the |
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future of the state's economy, public health, and treasured natural |
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resources is closely tied to its ability to manage and control its |
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water supplies; it is therefore imperative that final decisions |
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regarding the needs of local communities reside with the state, |
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regional, and local entities that are so uniquely qualified to make |
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them; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby express its opposition to federal interference in state |
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management of Texas' water resources; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to |
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the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of |
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Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the |
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members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that |
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this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a |
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memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. |